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CJ embarks on its discovery of young creators

CJ Cultural Foundation
initiates this year’s support programs by starting the recruiting process of talented singers, performers, and filmmakers

CJ Cultural Foundation
(Director Lee Jay Hyun) opened the recruitment of three support programs, TUNE UP (music), STAGE UP (performance), and STORY UP (film), from March 19th at CJazit website (http://www.cjazit.org).

CJ Cultural Foundation
, which was established on 2006 based on the philosophy of ‘Business Patriotism through Culture’, starts this year’s programs that will discover and nurture talented singers, performers, and filmmakers. The existing program supported capacity building and artworks of burgeoning creators so that they can successfully enter the market. this year, personalized support including marketing, which is usually the most urgent issue for new and young creators, will be bolstered.
CJ Cultural Foundation
plans to showcase creators and media contents that will be loved by the public, just as TUNE UP Class of 17 musician ‘Melomance’ has done.

First and foremost, ‘TUNE UP’ will look for its 19th class of musicians from March 19th to May 3rd. Once the application including the music sample is submitted to the CJazit website, results of online evaluation will be announced in May. The final winner will be decided in June through performance evaluation and an intensive interview.

Any musician who released less than five regular albums and who has not been selected by analogous programs may apply, regardless of the genre.

Selected musicians will be provided with album production expenses, personalized support on film production for marketing purposes, participation opportunities at ‘TUNE UP Stage’ on domestic and international music festivals, teaching opportunities in a culture sharing program ‘TUNE UP Music Class’, along with stipends and large project performance production support.
CJ Cultural Foundation
has planned and successfully operated a concert of 2,000 seats starring singer Lee Seung Hwan and an indie band named ‘I AM NOT’.

Meanwhile,
CJ Cultural Foundation
decided to open CJazit Guangheungchang, which was renewed last April, to musicians not included in the Tune Up program. CJazit Guangheungchang has a concert hall with 200 standing seats, high-end studio capable of hall recording, design editing facilities, community lounge and more. Musicians can use this space free of charge by following the space request procedure including the submission of performance plan.

‘STAGE UP’ which supports performance creators such as musicals, will receive applications from March 19th to April 26th. The program has two application sectors: rookies and re-minds. Rookies’ section can be applied by Korean scenario writers or composers who participated in less than four commercial productions including both domestic and international projects. Re-minds’ section can be applied only as a team and it should include at least one scenario writer or composer that was supported by the STAGE UP program. This field came into being last year to provide more opportunities to young creators.

Creators who wish to enter must submit a 90-minute musical performance synopsis of their own creation, one scenario or treatment, and more than five music samples to CJazit website. Creation support and mentoring by professionals, reading performance production opportunity are provided to outstanding pieces and the best work will be on stage of CJazit, supported by
CJ Cultural Foundation
. Tickets of musical ‘Paan’, whose first performance was at March, 2017, was sold out during its one month of performance. Based on this outcome, the musical was performed again at Jungdong Geukjang in December.

‘STAGE UP’ is distinctive as its applicants will obtain support in making their own artwork and receive mentoring opportunities by experts - even if the team is not selected on the final stage. Document screening and interview evaluation for all applications will be conducted at May. Finalists can upgrade their performances for two months through professional mentoring and the final outcome will be evaluated at August.

‘STORY UP’ scenario writer field application ends at April 18th. Of youths who wish to be film writers and have none or one main credit (director/writer/producer) of a full-length film that has been released can apply. Application form and treatment of 22~30 pages should be submitted to the CJazit website.

Final winners would receive monetary support for their works, 1:1 mentoring by contemporary film producers, three-phase monitoring, expert lecture, usage of O’PEN center facilities including individual writing space, scenario pitching and more. Final results will be announced in the end of May after document and interview evaluation.

There has been many successful cases such as ‘Bluebeard’, ‘A Stray Goat’, which was released on 2017. ‘I Can Speak’, which talked about ‘comfort women’, was the winner of the scenario contest proceeded with the Department of Gender. ‘STORY UP’ is drawing more attention of the industry with its extensive support for writers by relating with O’PEN, a support program of new scenario writers by CJ E&M.

Jo Yong Shin STAGE UP art director stated that “the source of good contents is people, and our culture will thrive when young creators’ challenge continues,” further commenting that “I hope those who have difficulties entering the culture industry will actively seek opportunities as there are various support programs with actual benefits.”